Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Hi Everyone,
It's extremely difficult to write regularly while in school but I'm working on a project now and having to go back through my blog entries since 2008 and it's been a lot of fun to read my earlier commentary. I tried experimenting with a new url for a few days but that didn't work too well, as some readers were accustomed to the original, so no worries, I changed it back. I'm currently working on applications for dissertation fieldwork funding so that I can return to Shqiperia in the spring of 2013. Wish me luck!
Gjithe te mirat, everyone!

Friday, January 20, 2012

Meet Saimir Strati, an Albanian artist who recently entered the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the world's largest coffee bean mosaic.

"I wanted to give the message that sharing love over a cup of coffee brings us closer, a cup of coffee brings us more love than a G20 meeting," Saimiri stated.

He used 309 pounds of coffee beans to portray a Brazilian dancer, a Japanese drummer, a U.S. country music singer, a European accordionist and an African drummer. And he used one of my favorite brands of coffee Lori Kafe (I just love their commercials) to make the mosaic. The message he says: "One world, one family, over a cup of coffee."

1. I officially like blogger more than wordpress2. If you spend more than 2.5 hours trying to figure out a blog on wordpress and then learn how to do something easier on blogger, you really feel like you just wasted a lot of time3. I never should have tried to abandon my original blog, so here I am, back in action because some blogging about Albania is long overdue

Though I'm still in the U.S. right now, I'm working on my dissertation proposal (about post-communism in Albania) and feel that I should start blogging again. This will be a first time to blog while away from the 'bania but I think I'll be able to share things here and there. Besides I think this form of writing will be helpful when organizing my thoughts for my proposal and comprehensive exams. So here it goes.